The “Fanny Pack Bandit,” Peter Soren Walsky, 45, was arrested in Brentwood on September 3. Walsky has confessed to 10 robberies since November 13, including seven in L.A., one in Manhattan Beach and two in Santa Monica. According to LAPD Senior Lead Officer Chris Ragsdale, he has been tied to three robberies in the Palisades. According the FBI affidavit, at appoximately 12:10 at the Bank of America, at 11911 San Vicente Boulevard, Walsky, 6’2″ tall, white male, weighing 140 pounds, wearing a grey shirt with tight grey shorts,and a blue and white baseball cap, approached a teller and handed him a note that read, “Give me your money. No tracking devices. No ink pack. You have 15 seconds.” Walsky then said, “I’m serious.” The teller did as instructed removing $1,256 from his drawer, including pre-recorded bait bills, and placed them on the counter. Walsky took the money and the demand note and put them both into a blue vinyl bag and exited the bank. As he walked east down San Vicente past Souplantation, his luck ran out. Two off-duty FBI agents just happened to be having lunch. They noticed a man carrying what appeared to be a bank deposit money bag emanating red smoke. The agents exited the restaurant and discovered that the smoke appeared to be pepper spray. They concluded a dye pack had been activated and the bank located next to the restaurant had just been robbed. The agents identified themselves and commanded the man to stop. When he began to run, a foot pursuit ensued. After a brief struggle, the subject was taken into custody.
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